Mitigating environmental risks: Modeling the interaction of water quality parameters and land use cover

Mohsen Mirzaei, Ali Jafari, Mehdi Gholamalifard, Hossein Azadi, Sharif Joorabian Shooshtari, Saghi Movahhed Moghaddam, Kindeya Gebrehiwot and Frank Witlox

Land Use Policy, 2020, vol. 95, issue C

Abstract: Understanding the relationship between rivers water quality (RWQ) and landscape metrics (LMs) is valuable for developing sustainable watershed management practices and pollution/environmental risk mitigation. To do so, the current study aimed to explore the relationship between RWQ and LMs by assessing 74 sub-basins within 2 million ha in Northern Iran. Principal component analyses were used to identify principal water quality parameters. Considering the effect of composition and configuration of the Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) on pollution loads, statistical models revealed that by increasing the mean of the Fractal Dimension Index of agricultural lands, the nitrate loads will increase. The results of this study can be especially used in the environmental impact/risk assessment of new industrial and residential applications. Also, the findings of the current study could provide a perfect source for calculations and choosing the best policy making decisions.

Keywords: Caspian Sea; Landscape metrics; Environmental risk mitigation; Nonpoint source pollution; Sustainable watershed management; River water quality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:95:y:2020:i:c:s0264837718315655

DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2018.12.014

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